Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

प्रेतास्तस्य हि सुप्रीता यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम् । अन्नं वस्त्रं हिरण्यं च यो दद्यादग्रजन्मने

Transliteration

pretāstasya hi suprītā yāvadābhūtasamplavam | annaṃ vastraṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca yo dadyādagrajanmane

Translation

En vérité, ses ancêtres défunts demeurent pleinement satisfaits jusqu’à la dissolution du cosmos. Celui qui donne nourriture, vêtements et or à un premier-né (un brāhmane) leur assure cette joie durable.

Word by Word

• प्रेताः: departed spirits, pretas
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• सुप्रीताः: very pleased
• सुप्रीताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + प्रीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √प्री (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative), परिमाण/अवधि (as long as/until)

• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: until the cosmic deluge
• आभूतसम्प्लवम्: Adhikarana (Temporal limit/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-भूत + सम्प्लव (प्रातिपदिक); आभूत (उपसर्ग+√भू + क्त) + सम्प्लव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आभूतः सम्प्लवः = the deluge up to the end of beings)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वस्त्रम्: cloth, garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अग्रजन्मने: to the first-born/elder (person)
• अग्रजन्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र-जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अग्रं जन्म यस्य = first-born/elder)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (general)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the bank of the Revā, a householder offers food, folded cloth, and a small heap of gold to a seated brāhmaṇa; behind them, subtle ancestral figures appear serene, receiving the merit.

Characters & Entities

• pretāḥ
• ābhūtasamplava
• Brāhmaṇa (agrajanman)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed in a śrāddha spirit can bring enduring peace and satisfaction to one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage continues the Someshvara-centered praise within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving food, clothing, and gold—especially to a qualified Brāhmaṇa—as part of śrāddha-related merit.